Combined bed and chair.



I P. G. GALE. COMBINED BED AND CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1907.

979,4 1 I Pdtented Dec.27,1910.-

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P. G. GALE.

COMBINED BED AND CHAIR.

APPLICATION mum AUG. 3, 1907.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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UNIT 3A FRANCIS Gr. GALE,

OF WATERVILLE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

COMBINED BED AND CHAIR.

stator Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1907.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS Gr. GALE, a British subject, residing at i"\ aterville,l?rovince of Quebec, Canada, have invented an Improvement in Combined Beds and Chairs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel combination bed and chair which can be readily and easily converted from a bed into a chair and vice versa. The preferred arrangement is such that when the device is in the shape of a chair, the back of the chair can be placed at different inclinations and also a foot rest is provided which can be placed at different inclinations as desired. Furthermore when the device is arranged as a bed the head-end thereof may be raised or lowered into different positions, thus converting the bed into a sofa.

I will first describe one embodiment of my invention, and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device when arranged to constitute a bed; Fig.2 is a similar view showing the device converted into a chair; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bed; Fig. i is a central longitudinal section of the device when converted into a chair.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a wire fabric of any suitable or I usual construction which constitutes the wire bed and the seat and back of support said wire fabric on a frame which is jointed to permit it to be adjusted to constitute a chair or a bed, as desired. For convenience I will hereinafter refer to the two portions of the frame as the head section and foot section thereof, and in the drawings 3 is the foot section of the frame, and 4f the head section thereof. The head section is that which constitutes the seat portion of the chair frame when the device is converted into a chair, and the foot portion is that which constitutes the back of the chair frame. Since the seat portion of the chair frame is that which supports the chair when the device is in the form of a chair, I propose to make said seat portion 4: with legs 6 and 7 by which it may be supported.

As herein shown, the

mattress of the the chair, and I portion 1 of the frame is formed with two side members from each of which depend two legs 6 and 7 there being, therefore, four legs, the two legs 6 constituting the rear legs of the chair, and the two legs 7 the front legs thereof. The foot section of the frame is hinged to the head section 4; at 8, and said foot section 3 comprises two side rails 9 connected by an end-rail 10. The wire fabric which constitutes the bed bottom and also the bottom and back of the chair is made in two sections, one section 11 being secured at one end to the end-rail 10 of the frame section 3, and at its other end to the section 12 of the wire fabric which section constitutes the seat portion of the chair and the head portion ofthe bed bottom. While the section 12 of the wire fabric might be secured directly to the frame, yet I propose to secure it to a swinging frame 13 so that said section 12'of the wire fabric may be swung upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, thereby converting the bed into a sofa. The frame 13 sets within the frame 1 and is hinged thereto at 15, the point 15 being situated substantially in line with the pivotal points 8, as best seen in Fig. 3. The frame 13 is V-shaped at its sides, and the ends of the two Vs are connected by end-rails 16 and 17. The wire fabric 12 is secured to the end-rail 16, and in order to keep the fabric under proper tension, suitable tensioning devices 18 are secured to the end-rail 17 and to the section 12 of the wire fabric at 19 where it joins the section 11. The frame section 3 is also provided with downwardly-extending arms 20 which are suitably connected by a rod 21, and said rod is connected to the wire fabric section 11 at 19 by other tensioning devices 22, the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Associated with the frame sect-ion 3 is a support for the frame section 3 when the device is converted into a bed, said support being foldable against said frame section 3 and thus being out of the way when the device is converted into a chair. This support comprises two posts 23 connected together at their upper ends and also connected by a bar 24.. The two posts are hinged to links 25 which in turn are hinged to the side rails 9 at 26. Each side rail is provided with a notch 27 adapted to fit over the bar 2 1 when the support is in its upright position, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby said upright supports the frame section 3 and constitutes an end frame to the bed. This manner of con-' necting the support to the frame 3 permits it to be folded up against the under side of the frame in a well-known manner. It is not essential to the invention, however, that the support be secured to the frame in just I this way. Associated with the leg 7 is a section 30 pivoted to the legs at 31 and capable 1 of being swung up into an upright position directly in line with the legs, as shown in Fig. 1. This is the position the pivoted section 30 assumes when the device is in the form of a bed, said sections with the legs 7 constituting the head frame of the bed. The section 30 may be swung down into ahorizontal position or into the position shown in Figs. 2 and l, in which positions it constitutes a leg or foot-rest for the chair. For supporting the footrest 30 in different angular positions, I propose to hinge thereto a brace 31 which is hinged to the foot-rest at 32 and which is adapted to engage any one of the series of notches 33 formed in the legs 7. This brace 31 extends across the section 30 and when said section is in I its vertical position it hangs vertically and I constitutes the filling or grille work of the head section of the bed. I have also provided means for supporting the frame section 3 in difierent angular positions when it constitutes a back for the chair, and as t one convenient way of doing this, I hinge to the frame 4 at each side a link 35 which is pivotally connected to a member 36 which is in turn hinged to the side rail 9 at 37. Each member 36 extends beyond the pivotal point 37 and is provided with notches 38 in its upper edge and the side rails 9 are provided with cooperating notches 39 in their under sides so that by placing a rod 40 in the various notches the back of the chair may be held in any desired adjusted position. The links 35 and 36 are so arranged that when the frame section 3 is placed horizontally to convert the device into a bed, said links lie horizontally, as shown in Fig. 1, and are out of the way.

Since the fabric section 12 is secured to a pivoted frame 13, said section may be swung upwardly at an inclination to the fabric section 11 when the device is arranged as a bed, thereby converting the bed into either a sofa or invalid bed, the invalid bed having provision for raising the head of the patient as much as desired. For swinging the frame 13 I may employ any suitable means and I have shown for this purpose a roll 41 journaled in the frame t and about which cords 42 are wound in opposite directions, said cords being secured to the enclrails 16, 17 of the frame 13. By turning the roll 41 in one direction or the other, the frame 13 may be swung from its full line position Fig. 1 to the dotted line position, I or into any intermediate position as desired. lVhen the frame section 3 is swung upwardly l to convert the device into a chair, the tension on the wire fabric would pull the frame section 3 forwardly and shut it down on to the frame section 3 if it were not for the tensioning members 22 which are connected to the frame 20 and which hold the fabric under proper tension. These tensioning devices 22 and 18 also serve to maintain the fabric sections 11 and 12 in proper relation to the frames 3 and 13 in any posit-ions thereof.

While I have illustrated herein one way in which the object of my invention may be obtained, yet I do not wish to be limited thereto as it will be obvious that many changes in the constructional details may be made without departing from the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A combined bed and chair comprising two sections pivoted together, one of which is shorter than the other and the shorter of which constitutes the head section of the bed and the seat section of a chair, and the longer of which constitutes the foot section of the bed and when tipped up at an angle constitutes the back of a chair, legs secured to the shorter section for supporting the device when it is converted into a chair, and a wire fabric extending from the outer end of the foot section to the opposite end of the head section and suspended at its ends to said sections.

2. A combined bed and chair comprising two sections pivoted together, one of which is shorter than the other and the shorter of which constitutes the head section of the bed and the seat section of a chair, and the longer of which constitutes the foot section of the bed and when tipped up at an angle constitutes the back of a chair, legs secured to the shorter section for supporting the device when it is converted into a chair, a wire fabric extending from the outer end of the foot section to the opposite end of the head section and suspended at its ends to said sections, and means to hold the portion of the fabric corresponding to the foot section in fixed relation thereto regardless of the relative positions of the head and foot sections.

3. A combined. bed and chair comprising two sect-ions pivoted together, one of which is shorter than the other and the shorter of which constitutes the head section of the bed and the seat section of a chair, and the longer of which constitutes the foot section of the bed and when tipped up at an angle constitutes the back of a chair, legs secured to the shorter section for supporting the device when it is converted into a chair, a wire fabric extending from the outer end of the foot section to the opposite end of the head section and suspended at its ends to said sections, and means to maintain a proper tension on the wire fabric in all adjusted positions of the foot section.

4. A combined bed and chair comprising two sections pivoted together, one of which is shorter than the other and the shorter of which constitutes the head section of the bed and the seat section of a chair, and the longer of which constitutes the foot section of the bed and when tipped up at an angle constitutes the back of a chair, legs secured to the shorter section for supporting the device when it is converted into a chair, a wire fabric extending from the outer end of the foot section to the opposite end of the head section and suspended at its ends to said sections, and a member pivoted to the head section and constituting either a foot rest or a portion of the head frame of the bed according to its position.

5. In a combined bed and chair, the combination with a frame presenting a head section having means to firmly support it on the floor, and a foot section pivoted to the head section, of a wire fabric sustained by the frame, said foot section having arms I 20 extending therefrom adjacent the point of pivotal connection with the head section, and tensioning means carried by the arms and arranged to hold the foot portion of the fabric in proper position in any adjusted position of the foot section of the frame.

(5. In a combined bed and chair, the combination with a frame presenting a head section having means to firmly support it on the floor and a foot section pivoted to the head section, of a wire fabric sustained by the frame, means to hold the foot section in adjusted position to constitute the back of a chair, the head section constituting the seat of the chair, and tensioning devices movable with the foot section and arranged to hold the fabric in proper position in any adjusted position of said foot section.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS Gr. GALE.

\Vitncsses E. B. VVonrHINo'roN, A. JONOAS. 

